Microsoft to boldly go where Apple is already going...eventually

Exciting news on the digital music front. Microsoft plans to follow Apple's plan to sell DRM-free tracks from EMI to its extant army of Zune enthusiasts. Welcome to the social:

"The EMI announcement on Monday was not exclusive to Apple," said Katy Asher, a Microsoft spokeswoman on the Zune team, in an e-mail to the IDG News Service today. She said Microsoft has been talking with EMI and other record labels "for some time now" about offering unprotected music on its Zune players in an effort to meet the needs of its customers.

Way to innovate, Redmond. Once the period of EMI's exclusive deal with Apple has ended, this should make both Zune owners very happy.

"EMI is introducing a new wholesale price for premium single track downloads, while maintaining the existing wholesale price for complete albums. EMI expects that consumers will be able to purchase higher quality DRM-free downloads from a variety of digital music stores within the coming weeks, with each retailer choosing whether to sell downloads in AAC, WMA, MP3 or other unprotected formats of their choice."

EMI seems to think that other retailers will be launching this at about the same time that iTunes is. They may be offering it to Apple first, but "within the coming weeks" suggests to me far less than 6 to 12 months.

One other thing from the press release, though, that may be disheartening to Zuners is that subscription plans and "squirting" will continue to be DRM exclusive. It makes sense, really, but anybody execting that the $15 a months will get them DRM free tracks is in for a surprise.

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